"Oh, no, oh no! Watch out! I'm losing my balance!" Anna called out, as she skated toward her sister, waving her arms wildly.
"I got you!" replied Elsa, as she took Anna's hands, and brought her to rest.
"I had no idea ice skating was so hard. And tiring."
Anna looked about the courtyard of their castle, watching all the visitors. It was odd to see such a crowd here, as for years the castle gates had been closed to almost everyone. She watched the other skaters gliding about with ease. "No one else seems to be having trouble."
"It takes practice."
Anna looked at Elsa's crystal shoes. "You don't have any trouble, and you aren't even wearing ice skates."
"I've had practice. More times than I care to count I've had a chance to skate on ice."
"Well, I guess you would, when you can magically create all the ice and snow you want." Anna looked about the courtyard. "Just look at this place. Ice covering the ground, the castle walls covered with ice decorations, the fountains turned into ice sculptures, all on a warm July day. And you made it all in just a few seconds."
Elsa had lowered her head, looking distraught.
Anna noticed, and put her arm around her sister. "Did I say something wrong? I'm sorry! What did I say wrong?"
Elsa raised her head, looking at Anna directly. "I did not get practice skating on ice by choice. I just kept losing control of my Power. My room would become covered with ice, and there was nothing I could do."
Anna pulled back a bit, but kept an arm around Elsa. "I brought up a bad memory. I'm sorry! I've been doing things like that over and over, starting with your coronation ball three days ago. Maybe I should just keep my mouth shut."
"No! We need to talk. We need to share with each other. Keeping secrets is for the past. You can tell me anything. Yes, it might be painful, but we can work through it."
Anna smiled. "In that case, can I ask you something?"
"Anything."
"Why do you sometimes feel cold and other times, warm?"
Elsa looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"
"Like right now you feel cold, but just a moment ago, when you took my hands, you felt warm."
"Oh. Now you're touching my gown."
"So?"
"So it's made of ice."
Anna looked at her sister dubiously. "That's ice. You're wearing a gown made of ice. How? Why aren't you freezing?"
"It feels cool and refreshing, and doesn't bother me at all." Elsa ran her hands down the sides of her gown. "I thought you knew," said Elsa.
"I thought you had used your Power to make a gown that just looked like ice, I didn't realize it was ice. How did you do it?"
Elsa straitened, thinking back to the events of the past few days. "After I ran from the coronation ball, I went to the North Mountain. There I created my ice palace."
"And that's where I found you," commented Anna.
"Yes. But also I wanted to rid myself of everything having to do with being the Queen of Arendelle, to set myself free." Elsa looked up into the sky, a smile crossing her face as she remembered how she felt that day. "I removed my cape and let the wind take it. I made the stairway across a chasm, and then built the ice palace on the other side. Then, I tossed my crown away. Finally, I used my Power to change my coronation gown into what you see now." Elsa gestured to her gown, an off-the shoulder, glacial blue dress with powder blue sleeves, and a gossamer cape decorated with snowflake patterns that extended from the bodice to the floor and beyond, forming a short train.
Elsa raised her hand to her near glacial white hair, touching the single braid draped forward over her left shoulder, across her heart, and adorned with crystal snowflakes. "Even the decorations in my hair are ice."
"I knew a recognized that color," said a man from behind Anna. She turned and saw Kristoff sliding toward them on the ice, his reindeer, Sven, close behind. Both fought for balance as they approached.
"Careful, there! Are you alright?" Asked Anna.
"I think so. This is slippery," said Kristoff, as he and Sven came to a stop.
"I would think you, being an ice harvester, would have no trouble walking on ice," Elsa commented.
"We harvesters prefer to work in the cold of winter. That makes the ice hard, and not as slippery. It really helps with the footing if there is a little snow cover. This ice is melting; it's covered with water. We don't harvest ice in conditions like this, it's too dangerous."
Anna came to Kristoff's side and embraced him. "So, how do you like being Arendelle's official Ice Master and Deliverer?"
"Actually, I'm not sure what to make of it," he replied.
"What do you mean?" asked Elsa.
"Well, look at this place! Your majesty…"
"You can call me Elsa."
"…Elsa, you can make all the ice you want, do anything with it you want, even make clothes. How can I be the ice master when you are far more of a master of ice than I could ever be?" Kristoff waved his arms about for emphasis. "Why would you ever need ice delivered? Why would anyone in the entire kingdom ever need ice delivered again?"
Anna placed a hand on Kristoff, chest. "We're going to have to work on your social skills," she said, knowing Kristoff had spent most of his life away from others, in the wild.
"It's a valid question," Elsa said. She noticed many other people in the courtyard turning toward them, and moving closer to hear what she would say. Elsa began to realize that her subjects were curious about her Power and how she would use it.
She straitened, adopting her regal poise, turned to the assembled crowd, addressing them with a strong voice.
"I never intend to use my Power to interfere with legitimate commerce in this or any other Kingdom. I will use it to defend the Kingdom and my people, if needed." She relaxed a bit, taking a more informal appearance, and smiled. "Also, now and then, to have some fun. But I need, we all need, to be careful. Every time I use my Power, there is a chance for something unexpected to happen."
Almost as if on queue, a piece of ice from one of the castle decorations cracked, came lose, and fell to the ground. Fortunately, no one was nearby. Many turned to the sound, then back to Elsa, concern showing on their faces.
Elsa lowered her head for just a moment, and then addressed the crowd. "I think it's time to clear all the ice. Is everyone ready?"
A few who were still skating came to a stop. Elsa waited a moment, and then slowly raised her hands away from her sides. The ice responded, rising upward as a cloud of snowflakes. She thought about the last time she had dispelled ice, just yesterday afternoon. Then, she had dispersed the ice across the sky. Now, she tried something different: She directed the ice over the castle walls and let it settle into the fjord beyond.
"Ah, I hope there weren't any ships out there", commented Anna.
Elsa froze for a moment, and then looked at her hands. "Every time, I need to think about the consequences," she said, almost whispering. "I sure most all the guests have set sail for home by now. And even if there is someone out there, it will just be a light snow shower."
"First it was winter, then it was summer, then sort of both at the same time, and now its summer again. I'm getting dizzy!" They all looked toward this new voice, coming from across the courtyard. There stood an animated snowman, complete with twig arms and a carrot nose. A small cloud hovered over his head, producing a steady shower of snowflakes.
"Olaf!" called Anna. "How did you like skating about with everyone?"
Olaf, jumped up and down, before walking over to the group. "Oh, it was fun! But some people would not skate with me", He dropped his head, looking disappointed.
"They just need to get use to you," said Elsa. "I needed to get use to you. I didn't realize when I made you that somehow you would come to life."
"You think so? Wonderful! I'll go start making new friends right now."
Most of the crowd was filing out the courtyard gate, walking across the causeway that connected the castle to the mainland. Olaf went to join them, walking up to a person seemingly picked at random. "Hi. I'm Olaf, and I like warm hugs!" he said to the surprised woman.
Elsa turned to Anna. "It's getting late. The sun is about the set, and I'm hungry." She lifted up the hem of her cape. "Also, I need to change. I was to tired yesterday that I did not change before going to bed."
"What?" said Kristoff. "Isn't that you now? Like, with your Power, that's what you always wear?"
Elsa looked at Kristoff, cocking her head and smiling. "You don't expect a girl to wear the same clothes all the time, do you?"
"So, clothes, then food," said Anna. "Oh! I haven't ever been in your room! We always slept in the same room, until Father moved you out. What's it like? Can I see?"
"Sure," replied Elsa. Then she and Anna both looked at Kristoff.
He suddenly realized he was about to be invited to dinner with the Queen and princess of Arendelle, and panicked.
"Ah, I better see to my deliveries," he said, raising both hands and backing away a few steps. "Now that everyone knows they still need ice, I'll have a lot of work to do." He turned, tripped, and almost fell before grabbing Sven's harness. Both women giggled for a few seconds.
"Alright. See you tomorrow?" Asked Anna.
"Uh, sure. Tomorrow." He replied, and then made his way toward the gates along with his reindeer. As he walked away, the two sisters heard him talk in a low voice, "You just lost out on free food," in the tone he used when he talked for Sven. "I know, I know. Maybe next time old buddy."
Anna and Elsa watched him go before making their own way into the castle.